Ruse

Chapter Update! FFNandAO3

I’ll post again tomorrow and then the last chapter goes up on Friday! Enjoy, my friends!

Ruse

Chapter 2 - Actions, Then Words

Marlene was fuming. 

The only thing that was keeping her from coming completely unhinged was Sirius going through her room as she tried to be meticulous in making sure all of her effects were back in her bags.

“I’m going to make them pay.” She gritted her teeth, trying to let some of the anger seep out with the declaration.

“I’m going to kill them once they tell me why they were in your room.” Sirius’ answer was quiet but sharp. “Do you have everything?”

“Yes.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and picked up her suitcase. 

“Then let’s get out of here.” He pulled on the suitcase.

“I’ve got it,” she huffed and pulled back.

“Marlene, I love you, but right now you need to shut up and take my hand. Someone just tried to either drug or kill you, and I take personal offense to both options. So let me hold the damned suitcase so I can also hold your hand and reassure my brain that you’re fine.”

Marlene let go of the suitcase. When he said it like that, what else was she supposed to do?

He took her hand in a death grip. “Thank you. Let’s go.”

Marlene looked at the hole where the dart had been as they moved to a side door. That hole was meant to be in her and it made her blood boil.

“How’s your American accent?” Sirius asked as he pulled them down a side street.

“It’s awesome, Alphard,” she shifted into her American accent. “Though I don’t believe that I’ve ever met an American with the name Alphard.”

“Alphard has English parents. He’s an American because he grew up here, but he was born in London and moved here when he was five.” Sirius answered in his American accent. “And speaking of who we are, we’re going to set you up with a completely new identity, not one of the ones you’ve used before.”

“Sirius-”

“Humor me, Marlene.” He turned again and then headed for a back door to a tall building. “Someone has figured out who you are, and they aren’t happy about what you’re here for. If everything goes wrong I want to give you the best chance to get out of here and get home.”

“We’re not here for someone on Riddle’s level.” Marlene followed him through the door and realized they were in his hotel. “Mundungus Fletcher is a petty thief that I’m here to scare away from the big guns.”

“Minnie wants me to bring him back for his involvement in a smuggling ring, but we’ll plan that out later. The big guns obviously don’t like that you’re working on this.” Sirius took her up the stairs. “Until we know who they are, I want them to think you’ve left. I’m going to make sure everything on the digital side looks like their dart failed and then Catherine McClane high tailed it home to England.” 

Marlene hated it when he had good points. “I’m not a coward, Sirius.” 

He stopped them at the top of one of the flights of stairs and dropped both her suitcase and her hand to take her face in his hands. “You absolutely are not a coward, Marls. You are the bravest person I know. I didn’t say you were running, your alias is. We’re going to create you a new alias and then we’re going to battle with whoever thought they could attack you.” Then he crashed his lips into hers. 

Marlene threw herself into the kiss. This she knew how to handle, his lips on hers, his hands caressing her skin, her fingers gripping his shirt, pulling him closer. This she could do better than the feelings she felt after that dart came flying at them and Sirius shifted to his I can’t lose you mode. Those feelings were confusing, they twisted in her chest, but having Sirius’ lips pressed against her unwound all those feelings. She pulled back just enough to murmur against him.

“Men go into battle, love. Women wage war.“

He smirked against her lips, “Then I await the orders of my commanding officer.”